Friday, August 15, 2014

The Federal Court has approved a 17-year-old native title claim by the Gumbaynggirr people on the New South Wales mid-north coast.

Gumbaynggirr dancers with Justice Jayne Jagot

More than 100 people stood and cheered after Judge Jayne Jagot handed down her ruling during a special open-air sitting at Nambucca Heads, south of Coffs Harbour.

The claim extends over a six-square-kilometre piece of coastal land within the Gaagal Wanggaan National Park, just south of the town.

The claim was initially lodged in 1996 on behalf the Gumbaynggirr people.

Only one of the original applicants remains alive today.

In delivering the determination, Justice Jagot acknowledged the process has been far too slow.

"The fundamental truth that justice delayed is justice denied should never be overlooked and must guide our future efforts in respect to the resolution of future efforts of the present kind," she said.

Former senator Aden Ridgeway was among the Gumbaynggirr applicants and said the length of time taken to process claims was a matter that needed to be addressed.

"Often with these things some of the legalities, or the bars that are set that need to be met, become problematic, and people get focused on the minutiae rather than the achievement of the bigger outcome," he said.

"I think if an eye is kept on that bigger picture, then we'll certainly get results a lot sooner."